Congratulations to the following Brockport High School student athletes who earned All-Greater Rochester (AGR) status for the Winter 2010-2011 sports season by the Democrat and Chronicle!

AGR athletes are the best of the best in Section V high school sports as chosen by D & C staff with input and (in some cases) voting by coaches.

Ferris

Also congratulations to Brockport High School varsity wrestling coach Mike Ferris who was named the AGR Coach of the Year for Wrestling – Large Schools.

During the 2010-2011 season five members of the Brockport team qualified for the Division I state tournament. Ferris has a record of 31-18 in three seasons and was also named the 2010 Section V Officials Coach of the Year.

The BUM Players will present their annual dessert-theatre comedy April 29 & 30 and May 6 & 7 in Brockport.

This troupe of talented local actors and actresses has selected “The Oldtimers Game” by Lee Blessing as this year’s comedy.

“The Oldtimers Game” is set in a minor league baseball team’s locker room and explores what happens when triple-A players are thrown together with former “stars.” John “Mack” McCarthy will direct the play.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.) in the fellowship hall of the Brockport United Methodist Church (92 Main Street).

Attendees are asked to please use the Erie Street entrance across from the Brockport Diner.

Tickets are $7 general, $5 seniors (+65) or $15 for a household. You may purcahse tickets at the door or beforehand in the church office by calling 637-4240 or 261-7381.

The Executive Board of the Brockport PTSA has announced the appointment of Tammy Bonisteel as the first ever Green Team Coordinator between the organization and school district!

Bonisteel will work collaboratively with the PTSA, administrators, teachers, students, and family to increase green initiatives – like recycling and waste reduction - in the district.

She brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position.

Recycling and environmental awareness has always been a passion of mine,” Bonisteel said. ”Many of our lifestyle choices as a family and activities I participate in reflect that.

In 2009 Bonisteel joined the Brockport Soccer Tournament Committee to introduce recycling to the Brockport Soccer Festival. Together with co-chair and Brockport kindergarten teacher Deb Roe, the duo significantly decreased the garbage output of the festival over the past two years by making recycling easy and convenient on the tournament grounds.

Bonisteel also co-owned a web store that exclusively sold cloth diapers and reusable items for the whole family from 2005-2008.

As the new Green Team Coordinator Bonisteel’s goals are: “To recognize what we are already doing as a district, support areas that could use improvement, and initiate new programs that can help minimize our district’s environmental impact.” Bonisteel also hopes to implement some “green” fundraising opportunities to help support PTSA programming.

She has been a member of the Brockport PTSA for nine years and, along with husband Scott, has four children: Adam, Jacob, Samuel and Sarah. Bonisteel is also the founder of The MOMS Club ® of Brockport and has served on its executive board five times.

It is a woman’s dance by women, with women and for women. Women dancing in their own power.

- Rosa Fernandez

Those of you who read me on a regular basis know one of the big reasons I love Brockport is because of the college.

It truly is SUNY Brockport that has created much of the diversity and cultural richness in our community.

If you need another example I have a beauty: Rosa Fernandez.

Rosa is from Spain. She moved to the Village of Brockport in 2006 with her husband Carl Davila – a professor at SUNY Brockport. They now have a two year old daughter named Leyla.

Rosa is – among other things – an internationally trained belly dancer. She has danced around the world and studied with some of the biggest names in traditional Egyptian dance - including Suraya Hilal in London, Suhaila Salimpour, and Carolina Nericcio of San Francisco founder of FatChanceBellyDance.

She also spent four years in Morocco learning from “folk women” – ordinary women like “you and I.”

After a decade of dancing in churches throughout Europe with Sufi Master Adnan Sarhan from the Sufi Foundation of America and teaching in Spain, Italy, England, Sweden [the nation ], New York City and New Mexico, Rosa will now be teaching in Brockport!

Yes, the women of the Brockport area will now have a chance to learn belly dancing from a master herself!

“I am excited to bring a little piece of Europe to Brockport,” Rosa said. “Belly dancing is a very healing art that changed my life completely. It helped me understand the beauty of being a woman.”

Rosa will be teaching a Middle Eastern Dance Class at the Brockport School of Dance on 67 Main Street in the village. To celebrate her Brockport teaching debut, she invites all women to get a free taste of belly dancing on Tuesday, April 12th at 7 pm at The Brockport School of Dance.

Rosa stresses that no prior dance experience is needed for belly dancing and, contrary to popular belief, one does not need a certain body type or size stomach for this genre of dance.

You also do not have to bare your belly.

“There is an African saying: if you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing,” Rosa said. “Any woman can belly dance.”

Please note Rosa’s classes are for women and girls only. “It is a woman’s dance by women, with women and for women,” Rosa said. “Women dancing in their own power.”

For more information on Rosa’s upcoming free belly dancing party and her classes please call her at 637-4022

Caurie Putnam I'm proud to have called Brockport my home for the past 15 years. I love it because it has a small town feel, but the presence of SUNY Brockport adds a small city flavor. I moved to Brockport after graduating from the University of Rochester to cover the community as a reporter for Messenger Post Newspapers. I grew up in Connecticut and Washington County, NY but fell in love with Brockport and decided to raise my family here. I am a single mom to two busy little boys who take after their busy Mommy! I am also a freelance writer for The Democrat and Chronicle and several other publications in western New York. My Brockport activities include: The Brockport Moms Club, Brockport PTSA, JJ's Angels, The Brockport Blizzards, and Tri-County Youth Hockey. As the Brockport Blogger, my goal is to bring you positive, family centered, community news and photos. Brockport is the hidden gem of Monroe County and I love to shine it up. Please send ideas, press releases, and feedback to Caurie at caurie@urgrad.rochester.edu You can also follow me on Twitter at @CauriePutnam